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Revenge of the purged

Reps. David Schweikert (R-Ariz.), Justin Amash (R-Mich.) and Tim Huelskamp (R-Kan.), all stripped of prized committee assignments earlier this month because of perceived sins against the party, did a three-amigos end zone dance as GOP leaders struggled and failed to get the votes for a tax-cut bill designed to empower Speaker John Boehner in negotiating the so-called fiscal cliff. …

“Republican leadership thought they could silence conservatives when they kicked us off our committees,” Huelskamp said. “I’m glad that enough of my colleagues refused to back down from the threats and intimidation, thus preventing the conference from abandoning our principles.” …

The leadership-driven Republican Steering Committee kicked the three lawmakers off of committees, a move that they interpreted as punishment for conservative voting records.

But Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-Ga.), a conservative and a member of the Steering Committee, said the real reason was an “a-hole factor.” Another member of the Steering Committee, seeking to distinguish between these lawmakers and others who might be difficult to deal with, called them the “most egregious a-holes” in the Republican Conference.

Rep. Huelskamp on Morning Joe yesterday could scarcely contain his glee at Speaker Boehner’s public humiliation. He griped about being thrown off his committee seat at least twice, and “voted for revenge” when Plan B was about to be brought to the House floor.

Boehner/Cantor/McCarthy tried to act like Pelosi does with her caucus (or Tom DeLay did during his “Hammer” days.)

It didn’t work because the conservatives know that they gave Boehner the gavel. Without the seats the GOP/Tea Party took in 2010, Boehner wouldn’t be Speaker. And they all know it, including Boehner and his minions.

He should have at least withheld the ouster of conservatives until after the Plan B vote. But he thought he should whip them into line ahead of time.

Now he needs party unity without looking as if he caved to the conservatives the way he caved to tax hikes. Good like with that.

Irregardless of if they were a-holes or not a-holes. the fact remains the Speaker in the middle of tough dance w ith Obama when he needed GOP unity decided to go on a purge of house members. In other words from a leadership pov the speaker instead of knocking down bridges should have been building them. The entire things reeks of lack of leadership from the speaker. He deserved to get egg on his face because of his actions regarding the purge. he is unfit to lead.

So to sum it up. The three congress members who were purged from their committes where purged because they were not go along to get along types. they called out leadership on what they thought was wrong policies. To “punish” this inability of going along to get along, the speaker removed them from their comittees. Which instead of cowing these three made them very pissed off. Now “a go along to get along” type would have fallen in line but these three are men of principle and would not be cowed. The “go along to get along” types think principled men in Dc are A-holes. So when the chips were down and the speaker needed his party’s unity. these three rightly told the speaker to pound sand. But even then it wouldn’t have mattered because what did plan B in was this:

One GOP lawmaker who was ready to vote for the Boehner plan said the Club’s decision to “score” the vote in its tally of member’s positions on key votes was a turning point in rallying conservatives against Plan B. At that point, the lawmaker said, the floodgates opened.

I.e Sunlight. As long as the deed was done under cover of darkness and no one would have a record of raising taxes they wouold have voted for it. but as soon as the CLub for Growth said they would use it in their tally that is used in things like primaries. then the “conservatives” decided no on taxes.

So why was this story written? Well it is written to try to place blame on these three people nothing more and nothign less. Look for more of this attempt in the coming days.

I do not see a problem with wanting to have a unified party leadership.

On the other hand, it is only beneficial if that leadership is leading as opposition to instead of go along to get along with the Democrat agenda.

astonerii on December 22, 2012 at 9:14 AM

agreed. If those three were moderates trying to sabotage the Speaker I could understand it. But from all reports those three were trying to move the house leadership to the right in accordance with the people who elected them the majority in the house and no undermine the Speaker. But over the last 20 years more and more power has been stripped from the avg congressman and vested in the speaker’s office. To the point that congressman have become basically nothing more than stooges to vote for a bill created and drafted by the speaker. This was seen clearly with obamacare. They don’t make the bills any more, they don’t read the bills anymore. I think if you believe in federalism then you should also support returning more power to comittee’s and subcmittee’s and have a weaker speaker.

“[Boehner’s] come to see himself as the boss of the republican house delegation, instead of their servant. The members of the house owe their jobs to their voters, NOT Boehner; and he owes his job as speaker to them, NOT the media or Obama.”

Any “loyalty” being misplaced, here — any “red on red violence” (such as, f’rinstance, Weepy’s cowardly tantrum/purge of all dissenting voices from congressional committee seats) — Boehner is ultimately culpable for; and for which Boehner must (and will) ultimately be held accountable.

Rep. Huelskamp on Morning Joe yesterday could scarcely contain his glee at Speaker Boehner’s public humiliation. He griped about being thrown off his committee seat at least twice, and “voted for revenge” when Plan B was about to be brought to the House floor.

Keeping my seatbelt buckled for the next episode.

Ladysmith CulchaVulcha on December 22, 2012 at 8:43 AM

Geez.. The fact that freshmen lawmakers are whining about their committee assignments tells you all that you need to know about these guys.